Review ~ Fall Out by Lizzy Mumfrey

I_Am Self Publishing

2017

What's it all about..

Fall Out is a novel about an archetypal commuter village, home to a colourful range of residents many of whose teenagers go to the local Academy. An ordinary day becomes extraordinary when a school trip to London coincides with a terrorist attack. The fallout affects residents in diverse ways. Who lives and who dies is just the start as irrational suspicions and prejudice lead to unreasonable blame. Friendships are fractured and buried secrets are revealed.

What did I think about it...

In light of the recent terrorist attacks in London and Manchester this book was difficult to read and even more difficult to review since the subject is both subjective and prominent in our daily lives.

Putting reality on one side, this book doesn't focus on the whys and wherefores but then neither does it shy away from the repercussions of such a tragedy occurring, or of the impact that such a devastating event has on those who are inadvertently caught up in it.

This debut author writes well and offers a realistic version of how a community can either pull together or quite literally, fall apart in light of such a tragedy. I liked how the writing showed the minutiae of life, both the good and the bad of human nature, and of the unpredictability of just going about your daily business. There are an abundance of characters which takes some getting used to, some I liked more than others, but all are written with a fine eye for detail and a sense of lively dialogue.

Fall Out is a thought provoking and rather topical story which may not be to everyone's taste at the moment, however, I commend the author for tackling such a difficult and emotive subject in a very readable style.

More about the author can be found on her website by clicking here  or see what she writes on her blog by clicking here

My thanks to the author for sharing her work with me

~***~

Review ~ Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans by Cathy Sharp

The book blurb...

Little twin sisters, Sarah and Samantha are all alone in the world. When their mother died giving birth to Sarah, she was blamed for the death by her father and her learning difficulties serve only to make him more angry and violent towards her. Now he’s finally abandoned them both and they’ve found sanctuary at St Saviour’s Children’s Home in London’s East End. It seems they’re doomed to be separated; no one wants to take Sarah on, but life apart will break their hearts.

Alice, a former worker at the home who is now a mother and happily married to Bob, finds her happiness under threat when a face from the past reappears. Jack Shaw, East End bad boy, has always been Alice’s weak spot but is she really about to throw everything away?

Angela Morton has her hands full; she’s now in sole charge. But with Christmas approaching, and more than one orphan in desperate need, St Saviour’s is crying out for a miracle.

My thoughts...

This is now the third book in the Halfpenny Street series of novels and whilst each book is written to stand alone, there are characters and situations which are mentioned, which have been in the series from the start. That said, I thought that the story started well, with some nice characterisation and enough detail about St Saviour's Children home to whet my appetite.

The story of two abandoned children who run away from home certainly gets the book off to an interesting start, and when combined with the other story threads, a theme of determination against all odds starts to develop. Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans is light and easy to read and the characters are nicely portrayed. The way of life at St. Saviour's with all its many complications is well described and the story is both sad and heart-warming in equal measure showing people at both their best... and worst.

It is obvious that the author clearly enjoys writing this series and this shows in the way she lovingly describes her characters so that they become real in the imagination. I am sure that fans of this series who have previously invested in the story and characters will find much to enjoy in this latest novel.

Best Read with..a nice glass of sweet sherry and a warm mince pie..

About the Author

Cathy Sharp is happily married and lives with her husband in a small Cambridgeshire village. They like visiting Spain together and enjoy the benefits of sunshine and pleasant walks, while at home they love their garden and visiting the Norfolk seaside.

Cathy loves writing because it gives pleasure to others, she finds writing an extension of herself and it gives her great satisfaction. Cathy says, ‘There is nothing like seeing your book in print, because so much loving care has been given to bringing that book into being.’

Thanks to Harper for my review copy of this lovely Christmas saga

Book Cycle...

From tree to book and back again


With an ever increasing supply of paper books in need of a good home jaffareadstoo is delighted to support the idea of book cycle, and are even more delighted to find a flourishing branch of book cycle two miles away from our home.



Book Cycle is a UK based volunteer run charity.







Who seek to empower communities both here and in developing countries
through the provision of free books and educational resources.
We also encourage the reforestation of rural England by offering
free trees and information on self-sustainability.

All of this is achieved through your kind donations at our
'free' bookshops and shelves located in community spaces.

Book-Cycle also works to benefit the local community;
establishing projects to encourage self-reliance through
home food growing, engaging in global issues and
promoting wildlife through the planting of trees. We also provide free internet access, seed banks, independent film screenings, 'Bring Your Own Art' exhibitions and a variety of workshops too!

I spent a very enjoyable half hour browsing the well stocked and perfectly arranged book shelves yesterday and despite donating a bag full of books, I still managed to come away with three more for myself 

well .....it would have been rude not too, wouldn't it ?

They were:

The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel